1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to foam building blocks and the like and more particularly to an improved apparatus and method of making a foam building block capable of readily mounting an outer and/or an inner facing material to the foam building blocks.
2. Background of the Invention
In recent years, the prior has seen an increased use of interlocking foam blocks for the construction of a building structure. A plurality of interlocking foam blocks are assembled to form a wall. Each of the plurality of interlocking foam blocks has a vertical aperture. Reinforcing steel bar was located between the plurality of interlocking foam blocks as well as being located with the vertical aperture of each of the plurality of interlocking foam blocks. The vertical aperture of each of the plurality of interlocking foam blocks are filled with a curable material such as a cementitious material or the like. Upon curing of the curable material, the building structure consisting of a reinforced cementitious material located within the vertical aperture of each of the plurality of interlocking foam blocks.
Australian Patent 151,293 to Peter Lewis Bruning discloses a wall structure comprising a number of pillars, spaced apart and tied together by top and bottom horizontal members to afford an openwork frame, and pre-cast concrete walling slabs which rest one upon another and fill in the spaces between the pillars, characterized in that the pillars are formed with inwardly presented longitudinal rebates, that the ends of the walling slabs are formed with outwardly presented rebates to afford end flanges which are received in the pillar rebates and bear against the inwardly presented faces thereof, and that the walling slabs are retained in assembled relation one upon another by wooden or other strips which are secured to the innermost faces of the pillars and overlap the end flanges of the walling slabs.
U.S. Pat. No. 791,380 to Albert A. Thompson discloses a fence-post of plastic material having embedded in a face thereof a longitudinal strip flush with the face of the post, said strip having a longitudinal groove in its rear face having converging sides which meet, said groove receiving a portion of the material of the body of the post, in the form of a longitudinal ridge standing directly in the rear of the front face of the strip and in position to receive against its side faces the ends respectively of a staple driven through the strip.
U.S. Pat. No. 931,616 to H. H. Johanning discloses a cementitious post having a slotted channel in the face of the upper portion and an air chamber formed in the lower portion thereof, a strip filling said channel, wire netting embedded in the post throughout the extent thereof, said netting being located near the surface of the post with its longitudinal edges spaced apart and turned back at acute angles, all substantially as shown and described.
U.S. Pat. No. 958,619 to L. F. Frazier discloses a fence post consisting of a concrete base having a surface area greater than the post. A core rising centrally from and integral with said base, and exterior tile enclosing said core and extending from the top of the post downwardly to and into the concrete base. The said tile having one face recessed and a wooden strip secured in said recess.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,649,909 to T. F. McKeon discloses a concrete fence post comprising a main body portion; a pair of longitudinally extending spaced reinforcing strips, of a width slightly less than the thickness of said post, embedded in said post and having their longitudinal edges within the marginal limits of said post; U-shaped clips for embracing said strips at their longitudinal edges for retaining the same in operative relative position, the outer ends of said U-shaped clips being flared outwardly for preventing their removal from the concrete poured around said strips; a wooden strip embedded in said main body portion between said reinforcing strips and having its inner face projecting inwardly of one of the longitudinal edges of said strips, the outer face of said wooden strip lying flush with one of the faces of said post; U-shaped clips embedded in said post, the legs of said U-shaped clips engaging opposite faces of said wooden strip in said post and the bight of said U-shaped shaped clips lying snugly in engagement with the outer surface of said wooden strip, the ends of said legs of said U-shaped clips being angularly turned for preventing their removal from said post.
Although the use of interlocking foam blocks for the construction of a building structure has increase the efficiency of the construction of a building structure, the use of interlocking foam blocks of the prior art has certain disadvantages. A significant disadvantage of the interlocking foam blocks of the prior art is the difficulty of affixing an outer and/or an inner facing material to the foam building blocks.
Therefore it is an object of this invention to provide an improved mounting for attaching a facing material to a wall having a plurality of mounting strips secured within the plurality of continuous wall grooves to provide a mounting for attaching the facing material to the wall.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved mounting for attaching a facing material to a wall including an improved mounting for attaching an inner facing material to an inner wall surface and/or for attaching an outer facing material to an outer wall surface.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved mounting for attaching a facing material to a wall incorporating a plurality of trapezoidal cross-section with a minor base of the trapezoidal cross-section being disposed in alignment with the block surface of each of the plurality of interlocking blocks. Each of the plurality of mounting strips comprises a first and second mounting strip with the first mounting strip having a triangular cross section being insertable within the plurality of continuous wall grooves and with the second mounting strip having rhomboidal cross-section being inserted within the plurality of continuous wall grooves adjacent to the first mounting strip for substantially filling the plurality of continuous wall grooves.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved mounting for attaching a facing material to a wall including fastening means for fixing the triangular cross-section mounting strip to the rhomboidal cross-section mounting strip to interlock the triangular and rhomboidal mounting strips within the continuous wall groove to provide a mounting for attaching the facing material to the wall.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved mounting for attaching a facing material to a wall including mechanical fasteners for fixing the triangular cross-section mounting strip to the rhomboidal cross-section mounting strip to interlock the triangular and rhomboidal mounting strips within the continuous wall groove to provide a mounting for attaching the facing material to the wall.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved mounting for attaching a facing material to a wall including mechanical fasteners extending into the vertical aperture of each of the plurality of interlocking foam blocks for being retained by the curable material filled within the vertical aperture of each of the plurality of interlocking foam blocks.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved mounting for attaching a facing material to a wall including an adhesive for fixing the plurality of mounting strip within the plurality of continuous wall grooves.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved mounting for attaching a facing material to a wall including preforming the plurality of grooves in each of the plurality of interlocking blocks.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved mounting for attaching a facing material to a wall including cutting the plurality of grooves in each of the plurality of interlocking blocks after the plurality of interlocking foam blocks are formed into the wall.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the present invention. These objects should be construed as being merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the invention. Many other beneficial results can be obtained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or modifying the invention within the scope of the invention. Accordingly other objects in a full understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention, the detailed description describing the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.